Wagon-brake.



PATENTED SEPT. 27, 1904.

w. K. MELTON. WAGON BRAKE. APPLICATION FILED my 19. 1904.

N0 MODEL.

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mmzzw, I Inventor I I o Httornegs Witnesse g 1 Maw/Q UNITED STATES Patented September 27, 1904.

WILLIAM K. MELTON, OF BIVINS, TEXAS.

WAGON-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 770,978, dated. September 27, 1904.

Application filed ay 19,1904. Serial No. 208,737. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

' them not only to be applied automatically by the team on a downgrade, but also to be positively and automatically thrown out of operation by the team as soon as a level or upgrade shall be reached.

A further object, of the invention is to adapt the automatic brake to be used upon a wagon provided with a pivotal or drop tongue.

Another object of "the invention is to permit a wagon provided with an automatic brake to be backed by the team without applying the brakes. 1

With these objects inview the invention resides in the novel combination and arrangeconnected in any desired manner.

ment of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view of the forward portion of a wagon provided with the improved brake, and Fig. 2 is a side elevation partly in section.

Like reference characters indicate like parts in the dififerent views.

The numerals 1 2 indicate the front wheels of a wagon, said wheels being mounted, as usual, upon an axle 3. Formed upon or fastened to the axle 3 in any suitable manner is aframe 4, approximately triangular in shape, to which the body of the wagon is pivotally Attached to the rear end of the triangular frame 4 are guide-brackets 5 5, in which is slidably mounted a cross-bar 6, carrying brake-shoes 7 8, adapted to contact with the tires of the wheels 1 2. The tongue 9 is formed at its rear end with a triangular enlargement 10, which fits into the forward end of the triangular frame 4 and is pivotally mounted therein by means of a cross-rod 11, which passes through the triangular frame and the rear end of the tongue. A longitudinal slot 12 is formed in the rear end of the tongue 9 adjacent to the cross-rod l1. Pivotally mounted upon the cross-rod 11 and extending through the slot 12 is a lever 13, the upper end of which is connected to the upwardly-bent rear end 1a of a sliding bracket 15, which is mounted upon the tongue 9 by means of a headed bolt 16, that projects through a longitudinal slot in said sliding bracket 15. The forward end of the sliding bracket 15 is bent upwardly, as shown at 17, and is formed with a perforation 18, by means of which a whiffietree may be attached to the sliding bracket. Below the tongue 9 a rod 19 is attached to the lever 13 intermediate the ends of said lever. The rod 19 extends rearwardly from the lever 13 through an eye 20 on the lower portion of the axle 3 and is attached at itsrear end to the cross-bar 6, carrying the brake-shoes. Attached to the lower end of thelever 13 is a rod 21, which extends forward along the under surface of the tongue 9, passing through an eye 22 and being attached at its forward end to a metallic loop 23. The loop 23 is attached at its forward end to the lower end of a lever 24, which is pivoted in a bracket 25, boltedto the front end of the tongue 9. At its upper end the lever 24 is connected, by means of a link 26, to a yoke 27. Upon the lower surface of the yoke 27 is fastened astaple 28, which engages a traveler 29, attached to the upper surface of the tongue 9. By means of this traveler the yoke 27 is held in position and yet permitted to be drawn backward by the team. A pin 30 is set into the under surface of the tongue 9 above the metallic loop 23. Attached to the metallic loop 23 are cords or wires 31 32, which pass through eyes 33 34 on opposite sides of the tongue 9 and are joined together, as shown at 35. The cords 31 32 then extend rearwardly along the upper surface of the tongue as a single strand 36 and are adapted to be grasped by the driver when it is desired to back the wagon without applying the automatic brakes.

The operation of the improved brake will be understood from the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings. When the Too wagon is on a downgrade and the team is holding back, the yoke 27 pulls on the upper end of the lever 24, causing its lower end to, be rocked forward. This action pulls forward on the rod 21, which rocks the lever 13 and through the medium of the rod 19 applies the brake. It will be observed that the rod 21 is attached to the extreme lower end of the lever 13, whereas the rod 19 is connected thereto at a point intermediate the rod 21 and the fulcrum-point of the lever. By reason of this arrangement the rod 21 has great leverage on the rod 19, and consequently a comparatively slight back pull of the team is sufficient to apply the brakes with greatlymultiplied force. When the wagon reaches a level or an upgrade, the back pull on the yoke,

is stopped, and simultaneously the upper end of the lever 13 is drawn forward by the team drawing upon the sliding bracket 15, which action causes the rod 19 to be moved rearwardly, thus positively releasing the brakes. When it is desired to back the wagon without applying the brakes, the cord 36 is pulled by the driver, thus raising the metallic loop 23 until it becomes engaged by the pin 30, which prevents the brakes from being actuated when the team backs the wagon. By mounting the lever 13 upon the cross-rod 11, which holds the tongue 9 in pivotal engagement with the triangular frame 4, the tongue may be dropped to the ground when the team is unhooked or may be capable of up-and-down pivotal movement when the wagon is on uneven ground without interfering with the operation of the brake.

The device of the invention is strong, simple, and inexpensive in construction and thoroughly practical in use.

It will be understood that the brake of this invention can be adapted to other kinds of vehicles than wagons. Therefore when the term wagon is used it is to be understood as covering any suitable kind of vehicle with which it is desired to use the invention.

I claim 1. In an automatic wagon-brake, a houndframe, a tongue, a cross-bolt pivotally connecting the tongue with the frame, a lever extending through a slot in the tongue and having pivotal connection with the cross-bolt, a brakecarrying beam, connecting means between said beam and the lever below the fulcrum of the latter, a draft attachment connected with the upper end of the lever, a suitably-guided rod connected with the lower extremity of the lever, a neck-yoke supported slidingly upon the tongue, a lever mounted vertically near the front end of the latter, connecting means between the upper end of said lever and the neck-yoke, a link connecting the lower end of said lever with the rod connected with the lower extremity of the rear lever, a pin extending downwardly from the tongue for engagement with said link, and a flexible member connected'with the latter whereby it may be raised into engagement with the pin.

2. In an automatic wagon-brake, a brakeoperating lever mounted pivotally upon the tongue-bolt, a neck-yoke supported slidingly upon the front end of the tongue, a lever pivoted at the front end of the latter, connecting means between said lever and the neck-yoke, a pin extending downwardly from the tongue, and connecting means between the lower end of the front lever and the brake-operating lever including a linkadapted to engage said pin to prevent draft being exercised upon the brake-operating lever.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM K. MELTON.

Witnesses:

O. M. CoNERLY, A. CRossLEY. 

